Cotton chopper and scraper.



W. D. OSBRON.

COTTON CHOPPER AND SGRAPER.

APPLICATION IILBD DEC. 8, 1910.

995,553. Patented June 20, 19-11.

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W. D. OSBRON.

COTTON CHOPPER AND SCRAPER.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 8, .1910.

Patented June 20,1911.

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COTTON CHOPPER AND SGRAPER.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 8, 1910. 995,553, Patented June 20, 1911.

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was cams Prrmzs N v w MAR as ar WILLIAM D. OSBRON, OF MURRAY, KENTUCKY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM D. OSBRON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Murray, in the county of Galloway, State of Kentucky, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton Choppers andScrapers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to cotton choppers and scrapers.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a tractionoperated cotton chopper and scraper wherein the chopping element is soconstructed and arranged that the same will be moved vertically torespond to the contour of the ground over which the device is passingirrespective of the contour of the ground with which the traction wheelsare in engagement.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a deviceof the character named wherein the scraping elements are adapted forvertical movement and are yieldingly held against such movement.

A still further object of the invention resides in the production of acomparatively simple and inexpensive device which in practice willetficiently remove from the rows and destroy the surplus plants.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thedetails of construction and in the arrangement and combination of partsto be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail ref erence will be had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in the several views; and in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a cotton chopper and scraper constructed inaccordance with the invention; Fig. 2, a front end view of theinvention; Fig. 3, a rear end View of same; Fig. 4, a fragmentallongitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a section on theline 5 5 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6, a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown as comprising an axle10, upon the ends of which are rotatably mounted traction wheels 11 and12 respectively. Supported upon the axle 1.0 is a frame A whichSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. December 8, 1910.

Patented June 29, 1911.

Serial No. 596,277.

comprises end members 13 and 14 and side members 15 and 16. These sidemembers are in turn connected by intermediate cross beams 17 and 18,while longitudinally disposed beams 19 and 20 connect the cross beam 17and the end member 13. A tongue 21 has its inner end secured to theunder face of the cross beam 17, while its intermediate portion is madefast to the end member 13. Rising from the side member 16 and the tongue21 are standards 22 and 23 respectively, in the upper ends of which isjournaled a shaft 24 disposed transversely of the machine. Fixed on theshaft 24 between the uprights 22 and 23 is a sprocket wheel 25, whileanother sprocket wheel 26 is loosely mounted on the end of the shaft 24which is disposed adjacent the standard 23. Fixed to the wheel 12 androtatable on the axle 10 is a sprocket wheel 27 which lies insubstantially the same vertical plane with the sprocket wheel 26, and asprocket chain 28 travels on the sprocket wheels 26 and 27 so that therotation of the traction wheel 12 will in turn cause the shaft 24 torotate. Mounted in the longitudinal beams 19 and 20 for a verticalmovement are rods 29 and 30 respectively, said rods carrying at theirlower ends scraper blades 31 and 32 respec tively. A bridge bar 33 hasits ends slidably mounted respectively on the rods 29 and 30 and thecentral portion of this bridge bar is formed U shaped, as at 34, so asto permit the same to pass over the cotton rows during the operation ofthe machine. A spring 35 encircles the rod 29 and has one end inengagement with the bridge bar 33 and its other end in engagement withthe longitudinal beam 19. Another spring 36 encircles the rod 30 and hasone end in engagement with the bridge bar 33 and its other end inengagement with the longitudinal beam 20. By this construction, it willbe apparent that the scraper blades 31 and 32 are yieldingly heldagainst vertical movement, the springs 35 and 36 being designed ofsufficient strength for the desired engagement with the earth.

Secure-d to the cross beam 17 at the rear of the longitudinal beam 19 isa journal bracket 37 which has pivoted thereto a lever 38; the forwardend of said lever being in turn operatively secured to the upper end ofthe rod 29 so that by the actuation of said lever, the rod and scrapercarried thereby may be raised vertically against the influence of thespring 35. Likewise, another journal bracket 39 is secured to the crossbeam 17 at the rear of the longitudinal beam 20 and pivoted to thisjournal bracket is a lever 6L0, one end of which is operativelyconnected to the upper end of the rod 30 so that said rod and thescraper carried thereby may be raised vertically against the influenceof the spring 36. I

In order to prevent the bridge bar 34 and the lower ends of the rods 29and 30 from moving longitudinally of the machine during its operation,one end of said bridge bar is connected to the end member 13 by means ofa rod 4.1, while the other end of said bridge bar is likewise connectedto the end member 13 by a rod 12.

Secured to the lower side of the side members 15 and 16 directly beneaththe cross beam 18 is another cross beam 13. The cross beam 18 isprovided with spaced openings i4: and 45, while the cross beam 43 islikewise provided with spaced openings 46 and r? in alinement with theopenings at and 45 respectively in the beam 18. Mounted for verticalmovement in the openings 44: and 46 is a guide member 48, while acorresponding guide member 19 is mounted for vertical movement in theopenings 15 and 17. Supported between the guide members 418 and 49 is aninverted U shaped frame B which includes the side arms 50 and 51 whichterminate respectively in angular portions 52- and 53 forming runnersfor engagement with the ground during the travel of the machine.Journaled between the arms 50 and 51 is a shaft 54:, upon which is fixeda sprocket wheel and a bevel gear 56. Secured to the arm 51 is an Lshaped bracket 57, one arm of which extends trans versely of the arms 50and 51 at the rear of the latter and has journaled therein a shaft '58.Mounted on one end of the shaft 58 is a bevel gear 59 which meshes withthe bevel gear 56 carried by the shaft 54 so that the rotation of theshaft 541 will produce a corresponding rotation of the shaft 58. Mountedon the rear end of the shaft 58 upon the radially disposed arms 59 are aplurality of chopping blades 60. The sprocket wheel is positioned so asto lie substantially in the same vertical plane as the sprocket wheel 25and traveling on the latter and the sprocket wheel 55 is a sprocketchain 61. Splined upon the shaft 24 is a clutch 62 which is operatedthrough the medium of suitable connections from the seat 63 so as tocause the sprocket wheel 26 to rotate in unison with the shaft Qt whendesired.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been produced a simpledevice adapted for the attainment of'the ends in View, it beingunderstood that in attaining these ends minor details in the detailsherein set forth may be resorted to without departing from the scope ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claim.

The sprocket chain 61 is maintained taut during the movement of theframe which carries the cot-ton chopper shaft by means of an idler 6 1which is journaled in a frame 65, the latter being innturn slidablymounted in the cross beam 17. This frame is normally actuated to forcethe idler 64 in engagement with the sprocket chain 61 by means ofsprings 66.

What is claimed is 2- In a device of the character described, a wheeledbody, a pair of spaced guide members having their upper ends slidablymounted in a body for vertical movement, an inverted U shaped framesecured between the lower ends of said guide members, the arms of whichterminate in spaced runners for engagement with the ground, a shaftjournaled between the arms of said inverted U shaped member, connectionsbe tween said shaft and one of the wheels of said body, whereby therotation of the wheel will rotate said shaft, a bevel gear fixed on saidshaft between the arms ofthe inverted U shaped member, a bracket securedto one of the arms of the inverted U shaped member, a shaft journaled insaid bracket, a bevel gear mounted on said shaft in engagement withthe'bevel gear mounted on the first named shaft, and a chopping elementfixed on said second named shaft for rotation therewith.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

\VILLIAM D. OSBRON.

Witnesses R. S. CU'rcrnN, J. D. PURDow.

, Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

